Teams are getting closer and closer to clinching a spot in the World Series with only four teams left in the MLB Playoffs. In the American League, the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians are currently facing off for the first time in the playoffs since 1997.
For most of the year, the Guardians had the best record in baseball of 92-69 with great seasons from third baseman José Ramírez, center fielder Steven Kwan and pitcher Emmanuel Clase.
Kwan had the breakout year that was expected earlier in his career, batting .292. His teammate, Ramírez, put up MVP-caliber numbers with 39 home runs and 118 RBIs. Arguably, their best player was Clase, who put up impressive numbers with an ERA of 0.61 and 47 saves.
The Yankees spent most of the regular season overpowering their opponents. Right fielder Aaron Judge had another amazing season and has a good chance at winning his second MVP trophy. As a new addition to the roster, former Padres star Juan Soto had a great first year with the Yankees, hitting .288 with 41 HR and 109 RBIs.
With both teams having great seasons, predicting who could win the pennant and go to the World Series has been difficult.
“The Yankees have been the best team in baseball this year,” said Tyler Gardner, a senior finance major. “When you have a guy on your team like Aaron Judge, it makes things much easier.”
On the other side of the playoffs, the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the unexpected New York Mets in a seven-game series.
At the beginning of the year, the Mets were off to a slow start, going 0-5 and getting booed at home games. Their fans felt that the season was over before it even started, and it was a bad look for the team.
Their best player, shortstop Francisco Lindor, who signed a $363 million deal in 2021, struggled throughout much of the first half of the season. In the second half, however, the Mets started battinglike they expected to.
Other players like third baseman Mark Vientos and center fielder Starling Marte were also hitting the cover off the ball. Their most unexpected contributor was their second baseman, Jose Iglesias, who they brought up from Triple-A early on in the second half of the season.
Iglesias answered the call, batting upwards of .300. Even then, it took the Mets through the last day of the season to clinch their playoff spot.
The Dodgers did what they were expected to and barreled through their regular season, winning their division for the third straight year. “Honestly, this is the Dodgers’ year,” said Luke Parris, a senior exercise science major. “The fact that they have [Shohei] Ohtani now makes them even better than they were before.”
The Yankees were off to a scorching hot start in their series, winning games one and two at home.
Game three was back-and-forth, going all the way into the 10th inning. The Guardians were down five to three going into the ninth inning. With two outs in the ninth, right fielder Jhonkensy Noel hit a game-tying two-run HR, igniting the Cleveland crowd.
Catcher David Fry would later hit a walk-off two-run homer, leading the Guardians to victory.
Unfortunately for the Guardians, that was their only bright moment of the series, as they would lose the next two games at home, ultimately losing the series.
The Yankees did what most expected and flexed their offensive muscles. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton won the ALCS MVP, boasting four home runs in five games.
The series between the Dodgers and the Mets has been much more balanced, as the Dodgers lead the series 3-2.
Going into this series, the Dodgers’ pitching staff had not allowed a run in 24 straight innings, which is especially impressive for the playoffs. They continued to dominate, shutting out the Mets 9-0.
The Mets would answer back, winning game two thanks to a five-run second inning. Game three would end in another pitching masterpiece for the Dodgers, as they would shut out the Mets once more, with a score of 8-0. This is the first time in franchise history that the Mets have been shut out twice in a single playoff series.
In game four, the Dodgers’ bats exploded again, scoring ten runs. The Mets answered in a big way, scoring 12 runs in game five, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
However, the Dodgers’ were ultimately able to fend off the Mets’ efforts, clinching the series with a 10-5 win on Sunday, Oct. 20.
